My new P900i

I just got my P900i. It is an NTT DoCoMo phone made by Panasonic that works on NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 3G network. The coverage of the FOMA network has increased slowly, but their phone designs have been pretty crappy and overall the uptake of the FOMA phones was not very good.

From this series, they took the design/marketing away from the older FOMA team and the hipper and more successful i-mode team was in charge. I think this is the first FOMA phone that I might actually be able to use.

Feature-wise, it's a 1.28 mega-pixel camera pointing out and a 100K pixel camera pointing at you. The camera has auto-focus, so no more of this "macro" stuff. Which is good since the camera has OCR to scan email addresses and phone numbers as well as a bar code reader. There's a bit of politics around the barcodes, but I'll talk about that some other time. It takes MP4 movies and has a mini SD slot.

It has a 240 x 320 TFT display on the inside and a color 96 x 64 STN display on the outside.

Theoretically, it goes 384K and the i-mode browsing and email are noticeably faster. It has a bunch of other new features like multi-tasking, being able to download TV shows at home and watch them on the go, replaceable covers for the "customized look". It has Flash and Java and comes with Final Fantasy built in.

I was able to move my number from the DoCoMo PDC network to this new phone and have it configured to allow me to switch back to my PDC network and my old phone when I don't have FOMA coverage, but this is a clunky solution. It has a button to flip open the flip phone face, but it opens kind of sloooow. It's a bit "boxy" looking too.

Anyway, it's miles better than any FOMA phone I've ever had, but it don't love it like I love my Nokia 6600's. I haven't gotten the camera to work with the moblog yet, but the auto-focus might end up being a cool feature.

Comments

[Jessica]

So now how many unlocked cell phones do you have that you're not using? ;-)

[Joi Ito]

Unfortunately, this phone only works in Japan and has spotty coverage so it's added a phone to my pocket, but not displaced another one. ;-)

[Adam]

If you want global coverage get one of the new Vodafones: W-CDMA and triband GSM. Look for the V801SH model, http://www.3gnewsroom.com/3g_news/feb_04/news_4146.shtml
Available from April. Better cameras and screen than the DoCoMo phones (at least my 2G Vodafone: 2 megapixel autofocus camera, 320X240 pixel 2.4 inch screen. And of course Bow-lingual...)

[Cless]

So, where did you guys buy your P900i and does it support the EU region as of yet.??

[MostlyVowels]

I keep wondering what kind of morons came up with such a dorky/imoppoi/dasai brand name like "FOMA" for Docomo's 3G service...

[jesse]

i really want to buy the Panasonic FOMA P900i but i dont know where to buy it help me please

[karen james]

Hello seller,
I saw your product Sony Ericsson P900i and am willing to buy it owing totality to the fact that it is the exact product in which my customers are demanding for. I will like to know if you have up to two (2) of this particular item, because two of my customers demanded for this particular item. Payment of the item will be done by our company through money order because of both security and economic reasons. The shipping of the item will be through you (the seller)which means the shipping amount will be added to the total of the items. I will be glad, if my request is granted.
Thanks.

[Forzest]

Wow that handset looks good and having very good features too. But i always noticed one problem in Sony handsets is that their charging point creates problem after few months, sometimes phone doesn't get charged while connected to charger. personally i love this set but am using p9501 that is also very good